March 20, 2011

The UN Resolution on Libya and International Law

The violence in Libya has escalated. On March 1, 2011, the United Nations General Assembly suspended Libya from the Human Rights Council because of its ongoing violence against anti-government protesters. On March 17, 2011, the UN adopted Resolution 1973 imposing a "no-fly zone" over Libya and authorizing "all necessary measures" to protect civilians in Libya. China, Russia, Brazil, India, and Germany abstained. In the past few days, the U.S., France, and the UK have conducted air strikes aimed at destroying Libyan government defense forces. Below are links to selected news sources on the international and U.S. legal aspects of these actions: